Funding boilers

Your school boiler is essential infrastructure to keep your school operating. Getting a new or replacement boiler is a priority 2 item in your 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP). You pay the costs from your 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding.

If your boiler breaks down or needs urgent repair, it becomes a priority one project. If the school would have to close down without it (eg because it is winter), you must replace or repair it immediately. In this case, contact your local property advisor immediately.

Issues to consider when installing a boiler

If you are considering installing a boiler, you need to consider our requirements for room temperatures.

your area has restrictions on releasing emissions in your area to minimise pollution and the effects on neighbours

you need resource consent.

Modern wood chip boilers are the most environmentally sound option for schools. In most regions, they cost about the same to run as a coal-fired boiler.

If you must burn a fossil fuel, natural gas boilers are environmentally preferable to coal or oil because their emissions are less harmful. However, they still can harm the environment and people’s health if they are not installed, maintained and operated correctly.

If you already have a coal boiler, only use high-grade coal. Lower-grade coal contains high levels of sulphur. It can corrode and shorten the life of the boiler.

Maintaining your boiler

You need to manage and maintain your system well as you have a legal responsibility to make sure your school boiler is safe.

Identify boiler failure as a potential risk in your health and safety plan and include this work as part of your school’s maintenance planning.

You can minimise energy loss with regular maintenance. Set up a system so that the boiler does not run when it is not needed.

Boiler tuning business grant

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) estimates that for every $1 spent on boiler tuning, $30 can be saved through increased efficiency. EECA runs a boiler tuning funding programme for organisations with boiler capacity of over 200kW.

Engaging a maintenance contractor and inspector

a boiler maintenance company, under a preventative maintenance contract – it can maintain your boiler regularly, which stops the boiler from breaking down or developing dangerous faults

an inspector, who is independent from your maintenance contractor, to do a certified boiler safety inspection each year – for information on inspection firms, contact WorkSafe New Zealand (external link).

Provide the maintenance contractor, inspector and the person operating your boiler with all relevant information and records. You should have an operating manual. If you don’t, ask your maintenance contractor to provide one.

Keeping records

Keep records of all work, repairs or modifications to your boiler. Ask your maintenance contractor and inspector to provide updated information after each visit.

Disposing of your boiler

Boilers are a fixed asset so if you need to replace or remove an existing boiler, talk to your property advisor about disposal options before doing anything.

If you are replacing your boiler for a new heating system, the decommissioning and removal of the boiler forms part of the replacement project budget.

We sometimes have a rationalisation funding programme to pay for removal of school buildings such as boiler rooms. Talk to your property advisor to find out if this is an option.